News

The agendas for the Committee of the Whole, PRRHD and PRRD Board meetings to be held on Thursday, May 28th at the PRRD Office Boardroom, 1981 Alaska Avenue, Dawson Creek, are now posted to the website.

Committee of the Whole meeting – 10 am
Immediately followed by the regular PRRHD and PRRD Board meetings

The office is currently closed to the public due to COVID-19, but members of the public are invited to watch the meeting on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/OfficialPRRD/

The Peace River Regional District will be re-opening the Day-Use area at Montney Centennial Regional Park on Thursday, May 14^th as well as Iver Johnson Community Park on Friday, May 15th. By the weekend residents will be able to visit day-use parks at Montney, Sundance, Spencer Tuck, and Iver Johnson, however, visitors are asked to keep physical distance by staying at least 2 metres (6 feet) away from others as well as regularly wash or sanitize hands.  

Overnight camping facilities at Montney remain closed at this time as well as Blackfoot, and Minaker River parks. The PRRD will continue to monitor the situation with COVID and look forward to reopening other PRRD regional park campgrounds in the near future.

For All PRRD Meeting Cancellations and Facility Closures / Changes:

www.prrd.bc.ca/meeting-cancellations

*Municipal residents should also check with their municipalities about closed facilities, service changes, and meeting cancellations or changes for their community.

For Regional, Provincial, and Federal Resources and News:

www.prrd.bc.ca/covid-19-resources-for-residents

The Peace River Regional District Spring Clean Up program will be happening this year from June 1 to the 14.  Tipping fees will be waived for sorted, self-hauled waste that comes from your property.  During Spring Cleanup, some PRRD Transfer Stations and Landfills will have extended hours!

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The May 28, 2020 PRRD Board meeting, previously scheduled to be held in Fort St. John, will now be held at the PRRD Office Boardroom in Dawson Creek.

The June 11, 2020 PRRD Board meeting, previously scheduled to be held in Hudson’s Hope, will now be held at the PRRD Office Boardroom in Dawson Creek.

The office is currently closed to the public due to COVID-19, but members of the public are invited to watch the meeting on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/OfficialPRRD/

The PRRD Development Services Department has added new procedures for applications to continue moving forward while still maintaining transparency and dialogue during these times of social distancing.

As the public can no longer inspect public notices at the PRRD offices while offices remain closed due to COVID-19, the PRRD has come up with a number of solutions to ensure residents still have the opportunity to inspect and comment on proposed developments.

Options to Review Proposed Developments in Your Area:

• Public Notices will be posted on the windows of both PRRD Offices.
• Applications for development are posted on the PRRD Website Active Developments Engage Page (Make sure you check out the new and improved Active Development Page!) at prrd.bc.ca/engage.
• Paper copies can also be requested by contacting 250-784-3200 or emailing prrd.dc@prrd.bc.ca for curbside pickup between 8:30am – 4:30pm, Monday-Friday at PRRD Offices.

The PRRD would like to thank residents for their patience as we look at new ways to continue offering important services while practicing social distancing and working together to flatten the COVID-19 curve.

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If you or someone in your home is between the ages of 2 – 12 or over the age of 75, you can request a drive-by birthday cheer from the Charlie Lake Fire Department, complete with a firetruck, lights, and sirens. Crews will be available spread birthday cheer weekdays from 3:30pm – 6:30pm to those living within the Charlie Lake fire protection area.

Contact the Charlie Lake Fire Department at 250-785-1424 between 8:30am and 4:30pm Monday – Friday to request a Birthday Drive-by. Requests will be scheduled on a first-come-first-served basis.

Facility Closures

The following PRRD facilities are currently closed to the public until further notice:

• PRRD Main Office in Dawson Creek
• PRRD Office in Fort St John
• Charlie Lake Fire Hall
• PRRD Warehouse
• All PRRD Parks Washroom / Outhouse Facilities
• North Peace Leisure Pool
• Chetwynd and District Rec Centre 
• Kelly Lake Community Centre
• Buick Creek Recreation Grounds
• Cache Creek Community Hall
• Golata Creek Community Hall
• Goodlow Community Recreation Grounds
• Halfway Graham Recreation Grounds
• Jackfish Community Hall
• Moberly Lake Community Hall
• North Peace Fall Fair
• Osborn Community Hall
• Share Sheds
• Blackfoot Regional Park (Day Use Open)
• Spencer Tuck Regional Park (Day Use Open)
• Minaker Regional Park
• Montney Regional Park (Day Use Open)
• Iver Johnson Community Park (Day Use Open)

Please note that all PRRD Board Meetings will be live-streamed on the PRRD Facebook page to allow the public to view Board Meetings while PRRD offices are closed.

Read the PRRD Facility Closure Order – March 19 2020

The following recreation facilities supported by the PRRD and owned by School District No 60 are now closed for recreational programs:

• Clearview Arena
• Buick Arena

Meeting Cancellations

Due to the rapidly changing situation with COVID-19, the following PRRD Meetings have been cancelled:

• Electoral Area Director Committee (EADC) – Thursday, March 19th
• Rural Area Budgets Committee (RABC) – Thursday, March 19th
• Electoral Area E Roundtable Meeting (Moberly Lake) – Thursday, March 19th
• Electoral Area E Roundtable Meeting (McLeod) – Monday, March 23rd
• Public Hearing for Proposed Zoning Amendment (Arras) – Tuesday March 24th 
• Electoral Area D Roundtable Meeting (Farmington) – Tuesday, March 31st
• Electoral Area B Roundtable Meeting (Buick) – Monday, April 6th
• Electoral Area D Roundtable Meeting (Tomslake) – Tuesday, April 7th
• 2020 Rural Recreational & Cultural Grants-in-Aid Allocation Meeting – April 20, 2020    (Area B & C – Cecil Lake Community Hall)
• 2020 Rural Recreational & Cultural Grants-in-Aid Allocation Meeting – April 21, 2020    (Area E – Chetwynd & District Recreation Centre)
• 2020 Rural Recreational & Cultural Grants-in-Aid Allocation Meeting – April 22, 2020    (Sub-Regional – Cutbank Community Hall)

Effective this week, PRRD Regional Parks with overnight camping facilities, as well as one community park, will be closed until further notice due to COVID-19. This includes Iver Johnson Community Park, Blackfoot Regional Park, Minaker Regional Park, and Montney Centennial Regional Park.

This was a difficult decision, but a necessary one as we all need to do our part to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and flatten the curve. Open camping facilities make it challenging to maintain safe physical distancing as well as may encourage travelling from both inside and outside the region.

Day-use parks, Sundance Park and Spencer Tuck remain open, however, visitors are asked to keep physical distance by staying at least 2 metres (6 feet) away from others as well as regularly washing or sanitizing hands.

Provincial parks were closed on April 8th, with the order currently extending until May 31st. The PRRD will continue to monitor the situation and look forward to opening overnight camping facilities once it is safe to do so.

For more information about meeting cancellations and facility closures in the PRRD, visit www.prrd.bc.ca/meeting-cancellations.

The Peace River Regional District has adopted a new fee structure at Regional Landfills that gives the PRRD the ability to charge separate rates for residential and commercial landfill users. Under the new system, residents will not see any changes to their current bills while commercial users will see an increase of 3.3% beginning on May 1^st, 2020.

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Effective at 12:00 noon on Thursday, April 16, 2020, most open burning activities will be prohibited throughout British Columbia to reduce the likelihood of human-caused wildfires, although campfires will still be allowed.

• Category 2 open fires;
• Category 3 open fires;
• Resource Management open fires;
• The use of fireworks;
• The use of sky lanterns; and
• The use of burn barrels or burn cages of any size or description (except when used for a campfire).

Read the full Information Bulletin

Map of the Prince George Fire Centre

On Wednesday, April 8th, the Provincial Government announced that Provincial Parks and Recreation Sites with camping facilities are now closed to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.   

As all PRRD regional park campgrounds are currently closed for the winter, the Peace River Regional District will be seeking advice from the Province prior to opening for the camping season. The PRRD owns/operates five regional parks, including two day-use parks and three overnight parks, that are typically open from mid-May through September each year.

The Peace River Regional District values the safety of our residents and park guests above all else. We will be working closely with the Province to determine if and when it is safe for PRRD regional parks to open for the season. Please watch the Peace River Regional District’s website and Facebook page or subscribe to North East BC Emergency & Public Alerts for future updates.

The PRRD would like to inform all 2020 Regional Grant-in-Aid applicants that at its Special Meeting held on March 19, 2020, the Regional District Board of Directors approved the 2020 budget for Regional Grant-in-Aid.  Subsequent to this, the PRRD Board determined that no grant funding will be released until the Committee of the Whole reviews each application as per the PRRD’s Regional Grant-in-Aid policy. 

Until this process is complete, the status of all 2020 Regional Grant-in-Aid requests remains “pending”.  The Committee of the Whole will review applications at its meeting scheduled for April 23, 2020, and all recommendations from the Committee will go forward to the May 7, 2020, Regional District Board meeting for final consideration.  All applicants will be notified by email by May 15, 2020, of the Regional District Board’s decision.

If you have any questions, please contact the office at 250-784-3200 or email prrd.dc@prrd.bc.ca

Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, meetings that were scheduled to discuss the next steps for the Rose Prairie Water Station were cancelled and have not yet been rescheduled at this time. PRRD Staff are eager and committed to looking for solutions to move forward on the Rose Prairie Water Station, however, health and safety must come first. These meetings will be rescheduled as soon as possible and we will update you on future plans and actions for the Rose Prairie Water Station as soon as we have new information available.

Today is the 1 Year Anniversary of North East BC Emergency & Public Alerts! Over 1000 Residents of the Peace Region have already signed up for receive alerts! Thank you for staying informed and spreading the word about North East BC Emergency & Public Alerts in your community.

Click here to sign up today!

The PRRD is continuing to monitor the COVID-19 / Coronavirus situation. We encourage residents to stay up to date and continue to follow the Provincial and Federal Governments as the official sources for new information. Below are some resources that may be helpful for residents:

BC Centre for Disease Control    |  Website    Facebook

Northern Health    |  Website    Facebook       

Northern BC Information Line: 1-844-645-7811

Government of Canada – Public Health    |   Website     Facebook

Health Link BC (BC Ministry of Health)    |   Website     Facebook

First Nations Health Authority    |   Website     Facebook

BC 211    |   Website     Facebook

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During this difficult time, the Peace River Regional District will be taking steps to protect employees and the public by closing the PRRD Main office in DC, office in FSJ, Charlie Lake Fire Hall, and Warehouse to the public as of 4:30pm on March 20th.

Many of our employees will now be working remotely to combat the spread of COVID-19. We want to reassure our residents that PRRD employees will still be available to help.

For assistance, please call the PRRD at 250-784-3200 / Toll Free: 800-670-7773. To contact a PRRD staff member by email, visit the Staff Directory to find a list of our staff with their contact information.

Continue to check prrd.bc.ca for future updates.

As of March 14, 2020 the North Peace Leisure Pool will be closed until further notice. Please refer to the City of Fort St John’s website for more information. 

For information on Pool and Facilities in other municipalities, please refer to their websites. 

Following the January Update, Directors and staff at the PRRD are continuing to evaluate alternative options to come up with the best solution for the Rose Prairie Water Station.

Thank you again to the residents still waiting for the Rose Prairie Water Station. We appreciate your frustration and thank you for your patience yet again. Another update on the Rose Prairie Water Station will be issued by the end of March. 

Learn more about the Rose Prairie Water Station by visiting the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) page at prrd.bc.ca.

Congratulations to the PRRD Finance Department for receiving their 2018 Canadian Award for Financial Reporting Award. 

The Canadian Award for Financial Reporting has been awarded to the Peace River Regional District, British Columbia by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA)  for its annual financial report. The Canadian Award for Financial Reporting Program was established to encourage municipal governments throughout Canada to publish high-quality financial reports and to provide peer recognition and technical guidance for officials preparing these reports. Its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.

Click here to download the 2018 Annual Report

Click here to learn more about the Canadian Award for Financial Reporting

The Partnership Agreement between the Province of BC, Government of Canada, Saulteau First Nations, and West Moberly First Nations for the recovery of southern mountain caribou was signed on Friday, February 21, 2020.

Read More: Southern Mtn. Caribou Partnership Agreement Signed

Following the last Rose Prairie Water Station Update on December 20, 2019, the Electoral Area Directors Committee made a resolution to authorize testing a second water well near the water station as a potential alternative water source while work continues on the existing sulphide/turbidity issues.

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At the January 23rd Board Meeting, the PRRD Board received a response to their December 13th Letter from Premier John Horgan and resolved: 

That the Regional Board support the District of Chetwynd by advising the Honourable John Horgan, Premier of BC, that it will not participate in the following scheduled caribou related working group meetings:

• Snowmobile Advisory Committee (January 23, 2020 in Dawson Creek)
• Land Use Objectives Stakeholder Committee & Socio-Economic Advisory Committee (January 24, 2020 in Chetwynd) unless local government is awarded a seat on the Caribou Recovery Committee specified in the Partnership Agreement to Recover the Central Group of Southern Mountain Caribou, or a meeting of the Leaders’ Table is called and local government is provided information that local government will be provided the opportunity to participate in the Partnership Agreement, other than through separate advisory committees.

This resolution was sent in a letter to Premier John Horgan on January 23rd, 2020. 

Find more information, see the Southern Mountain Caribou Engage Page!

The Peace River Regional District would like to apologize for the delays in opening the Rose Prairie Water Station. Residents have been extremely patient in what we know has been a frustrating process.  During the commissioning of the Rose Prairie Water Station earlier this year, Sulphides were found in the water supply. Additional treatments have been installed to reduce the Sulphides, however, these treatments have not yet been able to decrease the measurable turbidity (cloudiness) in the water to acceptable levels. The PRRD’s goal is to open the Rose Prairie Water Station as soon as possible, however, the health and safety of residents is our top concern. Before opening, the Rose Prairie Water Station must meet the Guidelines for Canadian Drinking Water Quality and the BC Ministry of Health treatment objectives for groundwater.  The PRRD is carefully weighing different options to move forward with the Rose Prairie Water Station.  So far, options include locating an alternative water source within the vicinity of the existing water station and/or additional treatment upgrades. It is our intention to have an update for residents by the end of January 2020.

The Peace River Regional District would like to once again thank residents for their patience and look forward to the opening of the Rose Prairie Water Station in 2020!

Read the Rose Prairie Water Station Frequently Asked Questions here!

Let’s tell the story of the Agriculture Industry in the Peace. The PRRD is asking Peace Region Farmers to complete a short survey about how the poor weather in 2019 has affected producers and businesses.

Visit prrd.bc.ca/engage/agriculture to find out more and take the survey.

• Due to the unfavorable weather conditions, many farmers were not able to harvest their crops and they will remain in the fields until they can be harvested in the spring.
• Driving snowmobiles and other recreational vehicles on the crops will damage them, resulting in less crops being viable in the spring.
• If you need to get around a field, choose to drive around the edges than through the middle of the field.

Notice on Production Insurance – Unharvested Grain and Canola Crops from the Ministry of Agriculture

The PRRD is taking the situation facing the Agriculture Industry extremely seriously and is taking action to advocate for agriculture.

At the November 14^th Board Meeting, the Peace River Regional District Board resolved to take action in support the local agriculture industry by sending a letter to provincial and federal representatives, including Premier John Horgan, Minister of Agriculture, Lana Popham, MLA Dan Davies, MLA Mike Bernier, and MP Bob Zimmer.  The Peace River Regional District would like to clarify that while the PRRD Board is in full support of the Agriculture industry and local farmers, there has not been a declaration of an Agricultural Emergency at this time. Video of the full discussion regarding the report can be found on the PRRD’s website at https://prrd.bc.ca/agendasminutes/peace-river-regional-district-prrd/.

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October 24th, 2019

Dear Premier Horgan:

Re: Leaders’ Table re: Caribou

On October 10^th, the Peace River Regional District wrote to you to express extreme disappointment that the Board did not receive an invitation to participate in the proposed Leaders’ Table regarding the Draft Intergovernmental Partnership Agreement for the Conservation of the Central Group of the Southern Mountain Caribou. . . .

Click Here to Read the Full Letter

The North East BC Emergency & Public Alerts system has hit 1,000 subscribers! Have you and your family signed up? 

North East BC Emergency & Public Alerts is a community-wide notification system. Residents who subscribe will be alerted about emergencies and other important community news by signing up. Residents can sign up to receive time-sensitive messages on their home, mobile or business phone, email address, or by text message.

Walkthrough the signup process quickly and easily with this tutorial video!

The Peace River Regional District Board has requested the information referred to by the Ministry of Public Safety in their July 26, 2019 email. 

Click here to read the full letter

‘Gotta Go’ pilot project establishes the first new restroom facility along the Alaska Highway. 

Read the full news release – Gotta Go News Release – June 25th

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The Peace River Regional District is pleased to release the 2018 Climate Action Revenue Incentive Program (CARIP) report. 

Click here to read the report

Click here to read the letter from Chair Brad Sperling on behalf of the PRRD Board to Hon. Minister McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, and Hon. Minister Donaldson, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development, regarding the community division caused by the Southern Mountain Caribou engagement process. 

Water credits will be charged starting on June 15th at a rate of $3.00/m³.

Complete the signup process online at prrdwater.com or visit one of the PRRD offices in Fort St John or Dawson Creek during regular office hours for assistance.

Once registered, residents will be able to purchase water credits online any time of the day or night from their computer or other device and have access to potable water stations using their individual access code and pin.

Read the Water Station How-To Guide for more information on setting up your account online!

Continue to watch prrd.bc.ca for water station updates. 

How Will You Stay Informed About Emergencies?

Your safety is our top concern – that’s why communities in North East BC want to make sure you know about emergencies and public alerts as they happen. The Peace River Regional District will use the North East BC Emergency & Public Alerts system powered by Everbridge to make sure you know about issues that may affect your safety. This system allows the Peace River Regional District to contact thousands of residents in seconds so you can find out about an emergency right away. Receive important messages from the Peace River Regional District via email, phone, and text!

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March 25, 2019- The Peace River Regional District has issued an evacuation order for the house and surrounding property at 8657 Highway 29 South. This property is located in Electoral Area E, between Chetwynd and Tumbler Ridge.

The evacuation order was issued due to a landslide impacting the property and it is believed that there is an imminent threat to life and property.

 The occupants self-evacuated on March 23, 2019.

The Peace River Regional District is working with EMBC and other agencies to determine the next steps.

The Charlie Lake Fire Department was paged out at 18:34 on March 17, 2019, to respond to a structure fire on Poplar Road.

Once CLFD arrived, the fire was found to be burning in a bedroom. With quick action of the CLFD firefighters, the fire was knocked down, stopping the fire from spreading.

I8 firefighters were on scene, along with Engine 1, Engine 2, Tender 1, Rescue, and Squad 1 & 2. BC Ambulance Service and BC Hydro attended the scene as well.

The Peace River Regional District continues to advocate for an open conversation between the public and the Province regarding the status of the discussions about caribou recovery.

In a letter to Chair Brad Sperling, Minister George Heyman confirmed that the government is committed to advancing caribou recovery, while seeking to provide for the best interests of British Columbians. He noted that to help this iconic species recover, there needs to be a collaborative approach that works for everyone, and that as the Provincial Government moves forward with caribou recovery, BC will be looking at the impacts of all land uses.

Since the meeting in Prince George with the Province, Chair Sperling has continued to be in contact with the province as they work with the Federal government to roll out the consultation to the region. Chair Sperling has requested that a minimum of three public consultations be held in the region. He would like to see meetings held in Chetwynd, Dawson Creek and Fort St. John.

Full Media release here: 2019-15-2019 Caribou Press release

February 1, 2019- At the request of the Peace River Regional District and North Island 9-1-1, E-Comm (9-1-1 answer point for the Peace River Regional District) has provided the following information after a report of a 9-1-1 call connection delay on January 8, 2019.

Media Release